Hopper tee having drop opening with arcuate closure

ABSTRACT

A directional hopper tee has a fluted interior vertical pipe that merges into a horizontal pipe. The horizontal pipe has an inlet that may receive bulk material, and subject to pressurized air that conveys the bulk material through the hopper tee. Bulk material may be discharged from a hopper through the vertical pipe, for conveyance for discharge from the horizontal pipe of the tee. A closure gate or door is provided through the bottom of the tee, generally in alignment with the vertical pipe, to allow for discharge or dropping of the granular material directly downwardly through and from the tee. The arcuate door is hinged on one side, and is locked by a cam lock on the opposite side, when located into closure against the bottom of the tee, but can be forced opened, through its cam mechanism, to provide for opening of the arcuate door and allow a direct downward discharge of the granular bulk material, from any hopper, and through the drop opening of the tee, as required.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of patent application having Ser. No.13/815,315, filed on Feb. 19, 2013, which claims priority to thenon-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 13/200,625, filed onSep. 27, 2011, which claims priority to the non-provisional patentapplication having Ser. No. 12/249,672, filed on Oct. 10, 2008, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,091,925, which latter application claims priority to theprovisional application having Ser. No. 61/030,777, having a filing dateof Feb. 22, 2008, which is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,362, whichalso claims priority to that non-provisional patent application havingSer. No. 12/249,672, filed on Oct. 10, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No.8,091,925; and also claims priority to application having Ser. No.12/364,643, filed on Feb. 3, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,386; and thisapplication also claims priority as a continuation-in-part to theapplication having Ser. No. 13/506,244, filed on Apr. 6, 2012, whichclaims priority to provisional patent application having Ser. No.61/517,041, filed on Apr. 12, 2011; this application is also related toSer. No. 61/744,389, filed on Sep. 26, 2012; which also relates toSerial No. 29/421,194, filed on Jun. 12, 2012; which also relates toSer. No. 61/688,864, filed on May 23, 2012; which also claims priorityto the above application, and also relates to Serial No. 29/395,947,filed on Apr. 26, 2012, now Pat. No. D673,657; which claimed priority onapplication having Serial No. 29/362,245, filed on May 21, 2010; all ofwhich applications and patents are owned by a common assignee.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved means for conveyance of granularmaterial, and more specifically pertains to a tee device that connectsto the bottom of a hopper of a tank trailer, or other vehicle, and whichincorporates arcuate closure means that reduces the space between theinstalled tee, and the ground, so as to enhance and increase the amountof clearance provided when the tee is installed and in usage. Thesetypes of tees are used for the conveyance of bulk granular material, orto provide an unloading of the same, directly through the bottom of theopening of the tee.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to hopper tees, as used in bulkmaterial handling, and more specifically pertains to a hopper tee whichhas an arcuate opening through its bottom, to facilitate unloading, butat the same time, incorporates an arcuate closure means that furnishes acover for the opening and provides uniformity of even the interiordimensions for the formed tee, so as not to encumber the flow ofgranular material therethrough, when the tee is used for conveying suchmaterial to another location.

Hoppers, or tank trailers, regularly transport bulk commodities such asindustrial and food products, and even such abrasive materials as sand,or other pelletized materials. When the hopper, or tank trailer, reachesits destination, the bulk commodity is unloaded, typically by a powertakeoff driven from the truck mounted blower or a pneumatic system of aplant or factory. The bulk commodity generally unloads from the hopper,into a pipeline, for delivery. Or, the bulk material may pass from thehopper, directly into a tee, and the tee may incorporate an openedbottom, to allow the granular material to discharge directly therefrom.Usually, such hopper tees conventionally have a vertical section ofconstant dimension, and an integral shape of a horizontal section alsoof constant dimensions, for forming the inverted tee shapedconfiguration. To transfer the bulk commodity, the material moves out ofthe hopper, or bin, or out of the railroad car, by gravity flow or airpressure vibration induced flow, into the vertical section of the hoppertee. The discharge pipe is connected to the horizontal section of thetee. As noted, the prior art hopper tees usually have a complete, onepiece assembly that includes a vertical section, including connecting toa hopper, and a horizontal section, connecting to a discharge pipe. Theprior art hopper tee designs fit on the bottom of the bins of thepneumatic tank trailers, railroad cars, or the like. Typically, theremay be a butterfly valve that connects on the flange of the hopper tee,to the bottom of the bin, which can be opened or closed duringdischarge. Although, prior art hopper tees function well for theirintended purposes, some tees are structured where the granular materialbeing unloaded will impinge upon specific surfaces of the tee, underpressure, or become embedded within parts of the tee itself, which has atendency to cause abrasion, if not eventual wear through the tees atthese active locations of the tee structure. Furthermore, where thebutterfly valve is involved, there frequently is caused an impingementand embedding of the granular material within the structural componentsof the valve, the tee, the conveying line, and all of these can leadtowards a contamination of subsequent loads, when another material isshipped by way of the bulk transfer vehicle.

Hoppers, or tank trailers, regularly transport bulk commodities such asindustrial and food products. When the hopper, or tank trailer, reachesits destination, the bulk commodity is unloaded, typically by a powertake off driven of the tank trailer mounted blower or a pneumatic systemof a another source. The bulk commodity generally unloads from thehopper and into a pipeline. To complete the unloading, hopper tees aremounted to the discharge outlet of the hoppers, or bins. The hopper teeconventionally has a vertical section of constant dimension and shape ofa similar horizontal section also of constant dimension and shapeforming the inverted T shape configuration. To transfer the bulkcommodity, the material is moved out of the hopper, or bin, by gravityflow or air pressure vibration into the vertical section of the hoppertee. The clean discharge pipe is connected to the horizontal section ofthe tee. Pneumatic conveyance of the bulk material through the pipeoccurs by establishing a pressure differential in the pipe.

The prior art hopper tee designs fit on the bottom of the bins ofpneumatic tank trailers. Typically, the valve of a bin bolts to theflange of the hopper tee. Although prior art hopper tees function wellfor their intended purposes, some hopper tees lack proper groundclearance for long trailers. Ground clearance has afflicted the tanktrailer trucking industry for years. For example, as the hopper teemounts under the tank, ground clearance problems arise when a longtrailer, such as a tank trailer, crosses railroad tracks or other unevensurfaces. The longer the trailer, the easier a hopper tee becomes stuckupon a railroad rail, berm, or other short height surface condition. Astuck trailer delays delivery of product to its destination, risks delaypenalties to the trucking company, and increases recovery and repaircosts of the tank trailers.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and state highway departmentshave established heights, widths and lengths the tank trailers mustmeet. When the hauler transports light density products, such as plasticpellets, the hauler requires a larger cubic foot capacity, or volume, tohaul a maximum payload and make hauling such products economicallyfeasible. To increase the cubic foot capacity and remain within DOTheight, width and length standards, the prior art and industry havedropped the bottom of the hopper. However, the bottom of the hopperrequires angled walls (due to the angle of repose of the bulk material)that funnel down to the hopper tee to allow for emptying of bulkgranular material. For most dry bulk products the angle of repose isapproximately 45 degrees to the horizontal to obtain the maximum tankvolume, in cubic feet, while remaining within the mandated dimensions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A variety of patents have issued upon various devices to ease thetransfer and unloading of bulk granular ingredients from a hopper or bininto a discharge line for delivery to a plant or factory. Prior arthopper tees have a construction of a vertical pipe welding to ahorizontal pipe in a generally T shape. These tees remain subject toexcessive internal wear by the friction of bulk materials and eventuallyfail as they wear away. Previously, the Applicant has addressed suchwear problems. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,396 to Sisk discloses a casthopper tee designed to provide a smooth and uninterrupted internaltransitional surface. That patent also provides for such an improvementin a bottom drop hopper tee.

The U.S. Pat. to Campbell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,160 provides ahopper tee with a valve. This hopper tee has an inlet that connects to ahopper discharge opening and a perpendicular second hollow pipe section.The inlet has a cylindrical side wall, as in FIGS. 8, 9 and the secondhollow pipe section also has a cylindrical cross section as in FIGS. 3,and 10. FIGS. 9 and 10 also show exterior tapering of the inlet and thesecond hollow pipe section. Unlike the present invention, the Campbellpatent shows a straight sidewall at the flange, constrictions of theflow path in the second hollow pipe section as in its FIG. 8, and noarcuate flutes upon the interior of the inlet and second hollow pipesection.

The U.S. published application to Kraenzle, No. 2006/0082138 shows adual flange tee. One flange 24 goes beneath the perimeter of a valve andthe other flange has two wings 14 and 16 that secure below the completeflange 24. Below the wings, the flange tee has a generally cylindricallower pipe section as in FIG. 2. The lower pipe section has a neck oflittle, if any, height. The connection between the upper pipe sectionand the lower pipe section is generally square, as in page 2 col. 21.

The U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,015 to Sisk has a single piece hopper tee withan elliptically shaped opening within the neck. Generally a first pipewith a flange joins perpendicular to an edge of a second pipe that thenconnects to pipeline tubing. The first pipe also has an ellipticallyshaped interior space and a pair of wear saddles creating double wallthicknesses at the transition areas between the vertical and horizontalpipes that resists wear by materials sent through the tee. The firstpipe has a neck at a square angle to the flange and then the neck flaresoutwardly upon the entire perimeter. The second pipe has a constantdiameter without fluting. This patent lacks the immediate curvaturealong a portion of the neck, fluting within the second pipe, and singledirection of flow as in the present invention.

Then the design patent, U.S. No. D.376,416 to Sisk shows the physicalappearance and ornamentation of a directional tee. This patent shows around flange for connection to the hopper discharge and FIGS. 3, and 9show part of the neck with a square angle to the flange and an oppositeportion of the neck attaining a slope slightly below the flange. FIGS. 7and 10 show slight bulging of the lower pipe below the hopper dischargewith the bulging tapering towards the outlet. No interior fluting of thelower, or horizontal pipe, and no immediate curvature of the neck at theflange are shown by this patent.

The U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,404 again to Sisk shows a low profile tee akinto Kraenzle above. Unlike Kraenzle, this patent shows a tee where thediameter of the hollow pipe section increases proximate the opening tothe discharge hopper as in FIG. 2. This patent does not show fluting inthe hollow pipe section, curvature of the neck at the flange, and singledirection use.

The U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,681 also to Sisk describes a pivotal hopper tee.This hopper tee has a mounting frame that connects to the hopperdischarge and a camming handle with a hook that swings upon pivot arms.Beneath the mounting frame, the hopper tee has a cylindrical crosssection that increases in inside diameter near the valve opening, as inthe upper dashed line in FIG. 4.

And then, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,362 to Sisk appears related to the'681 patent. This swing away hopper tee has a mounting frame thatconnects to a tee assembly. The mounting frame provides a flange thatextends well beyond the diameter of the hopper tee. The hopper teegeometry is mentioned briefly in this patent but no fluting or diameterchanges are shown in its FIGS. 3, 6, and 7. FIG. 7 of the '362 patentshows a hopper tee of constant diameter and its particular lever.

The prior art has various hopper tees with a flat door, large wingsextending coplanar with the door, and carriage bolts and wing nutsconnecting to the wings. Over time, with rugged usage, and subject toenvironmental factors, the wing nuts and carriage bolts become hard toopen and make the door no longer fit flush with the bottom of thehorizontal pipe. The improper fit of the prior art door causes excessivewear to the bottom of the horizontal pipe, shortening its useful life.The prior art shows various hopper tees to resist the abrasion of bulkmaterials and to provide bottom drop capability. However, the hoppertees remain subject to industry mandated clearance requirements. Oneclearance requirement remains 15.25 inches between the top of the flangeof the hopper tee and the ground surface, and a second clearancerequirement is 4.25 inches between the top of the flange of the verticalpipe and the center of a 4 inch inside diameter horizontal pipe of ahopper tee. The 4 inch diameter horizontal pipe connects readily withexisting 4 inch diameter plant and factory conveying systems. A thirdclearance requirement of 5.5 inches from the top of the flange to thecenter of the inside diameter of a horizontal pipe applies to a 5 inchdiameter hopper tee. A hopper tee with high ground clearances remainsdesirable to the bulk material hauling industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a directional hopper tee with an internallyfluted vertical pipe blending into a horizontal pipe. The hopper tee hasa vertical pipe with an opening that connects to a hopper, or bin, toreceive bulk material into the tee and a horizontal pipe centered uponone end of the vertical pipe. The horizontal pipe has an inlet thatreceives bulk material and pressurized air from ahead of the hopper andan opposite outlet that discharges the bulk material already flowing inthe horizontal pipe and that is received from the hopper through thevertical pipe. The vertical pipe has a flange that abuts the hopper andan opening in the flange that matches the opening of a valve on thehopper itself. At the opening, the vertical pipe begins to turn towardsthe outlet of the lower pipe with a flute. The flute begins immediatelyat the flange resulting in a vertical pipe with a curved shape towardsthe outlet and a square shape towards the inlet. The present inventionraises the ground clearance of the horizontal pipe by at least one inchresulting in a hopper tee that clears at least 7 inches above theground. The hopper tee of the invention also unloads up to and including22% more products per minute than prior art tees during field useconditions. Alternate embodiments of the present invention provide areinforced flange, a drop tee, and a low profile drop tee. The presentinvention aids in the unloading of bulk materials from various truck,rail, and ship transporters.

During unloading of bulk materials pass through the invention, thematerials contact the tee and its various parts. Such contact inducesfriction between the materials and the tee along with friction withinthe materials, which is internal friction. The rise in friction duringunloading creates heat, often measured as a rise in temperature of thetee. However, the present invention using its flute lessens the frictionbetween the tee and materials and the internal friction of the materialsduring the turn from the vertical pipe to the horizontal pipe. Thepresent invention causes a temperature rise in the tee generally 10degrees F. to 20 degrees F. This is less than prior art tees, orprovides an unloading temperature generally 10 degrees F. to 20 degreesF. closer to that of the product temperature. Drivers in the fieldreport unloading hoses being cooler to the touch than before. Limitingthe unloading temperature rise becomes important for heat sensitive bulkmaterials where higher temperatures may cause the bulk materials to meltor to set or to congeal together, such as to become “stringers” ofmelted plastic pellets, before departing the tank trailer.

Further, independent testing of the device flow capacity has found theinvention increases flow by approximately 300 scfm more than prior arttees, or approximately 7300 scfm. The increased flow results in fasterunloading at a delivery site and a quicker turnaround for a tank trailerto deliver its next load. In field tests, drivers reported that surgingof product during unloading ceased during usage of the presentinvention. Surging through the present invention has nearly vanished forusage with HDPE pellets, glass silica sand, soda ash, and flour alongwith other bulk granular materials. Reduction in product surges leads toless instances of plugged unloading lines and the resultant downtimeduring an unload cycle.

In a rising or high fuel cost environment, trucking companies, drivers,and their customers seek to minimize costs at any opportunity. The priorart has sought various devices to unload bulk material from a verticalhopper into a horizontal line. Those prior tees have performedsatisfactorily, however; the present invention also increases the rateof bulk material unloading. In doing so, the present invention allows adriver to complete an unloading fifteen to twenty three minutes soonerthan before. Field tests using 1600 cubic foot trailers in dedicatedlocal runs provided drivers up to twenty minute reductions in unloadingtimes compared to existing tees. Faster unloading leads to moreimpressed customers, more satisfied drivers, and more loads, or hauls,per day, week or month thus improving revenues to trucking companies.

Further, during unloading of a hopper trailer, the truck remains idlingas it provides blower air in some cases. An idling truck often consumesa gallon of diesel fuel per hour. During usage of the invention,unloading raises a truck's engine speed to three times that of ordinaryidling, measured in RPM, and consumes three gallons of diesel fuel perhour of unloading. As diesel fuel prices fluctuate in the vicinity of $4or more per gallon, reducing idling saves trucking companies asignificant expense, at least $500 per year during unloading dependingon loads per day. The present invention, lowering unloading timesnoticeably, reduces idling times of trucks, thus leading to fuel costsavings. The present invention increases the operating efficiencies oftrucks when measured in miles per gallon or hours per gallon thanks todecreased unloading times. The present invention aids truckers and theircompanies in using less diesel fuel to accomplish the same unloadingjob.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention is to provide afluted hopper tee for inducing directional flow that increases the rateof unloading bulk materials from a container by approximately twenty twopercent, where the increase in unloading rate varies by the type of bulkgranular material unloaded.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to increase theclearance from the lowest extent of the horizontal pipe to the groundsurface when the invention is installed.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to meet dimensionaland clearance requirements of federal and state agencies along withtrucking and material handling industry standards.

Still another object of this drop hopper tee is to provide a bottom dropembodiment of the invention where the door provides a flush fit to theinside surface of the horizontal pipe.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to provide a bottomdrop embodiment of the invention where the door prevents leakage of fineparticulate matter from the hopper tee.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to provide a bottomdrop embodiment of the invention where the gasket and door of theinvention can be readily removed for cleaning, such as washing, and whenchanging between unloading of different materials.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to improve theaccessibility of the door and handle of the bottom drop embodiment ofthe invention, this accessibility includes door attachment ears arrangedsymmetrically with a symmetrical door and gasket allowing forinstallation facing either the left or the right side of a trailer.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to improve theaccessibility of the door and other moving parts of the bottom dropembodiment of the invention where the gasket can be removed by hand.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to provide a bottomdrop embodiment of the invention where the door is opened and latersecured by an operator using a single handle, cam lever, or other tool.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to provide a bottomdrop embodiment of the invention where the door avoids securement by twoor more bolts and retainers that formerly caused misalignment of thedoor and leakage of bulk materials.

Still another object of this fluted hopper tee is to provide a bottomdrop embodiment of the invention where the door opens readily after anextended period of non-usage, such as six months.

Still another object of this hopper tee is to provide a bottom dropembodiment of the invention where the door opens readily, such as uponpolymer bushings, with a minimum of lubrication and with reduced risk ofload contamination.

A further significant object of this invention is to provide an arcuateopening at the bottom of the tee, to facilitate its unloading, andincluding an arcuate closure means that conforms to the bottom shape ofthe tee, and therefore adds additional height to the location of the teeoff the surface of the ground, when used with a bulk tank trailer, oreven a railroad car.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arcuate closure meansthat can be held in position, through simple fastening means, in orderto attain the benefits of a low profile closure to the under surface ofthe tee when used.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tee, with arcuateclosure, that internally conforms and mates to the internal dimensionsof the longitudinal and horizontal portion of the tee, so that when bulkgranular material may be conveyed therethrough, it is not disrupted orobstructed in flow because of the uniformity of internal dimensions ofthe tee and its closure means.

These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in theart upon review of the summary of the invention as provided herein, andupon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment,in view of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the tee of this invention,showing its vertical section, the horizontal integral section, and abottom arcuate opening that may be used for unloading of materialdirectly through the tee;

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the present invention ready forinstallation upon a valve and into an unloading line;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the present invention with the outlet to theleft of the figure, and the arcuate opening at the bottom of the tee fordirect discharge of bulk material;

FIG. 4 describes an end view of the present invention through theoutlet;

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the tee;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the tee with the outlet to the left of thefigure, and the direct discharge outlet through the bottom of the showntee;

FIG. 7 illustrates an end view of one drop tee embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the drop tee embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of the drop tee without its bottomarcuate door or cover;

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view of the drop tee also without itsarcuate bottom cover;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the drop tee;

FIG. 12 illustrates a sectional view through the door and hingeaccessories of the drop tee;

FIG. 13 provides an exploded view of one drop tee;

FIG. 14 shows an alternate embodiment of the drop tee having a lowprofile;

FIG. 15 provides a sectional view of the low profile drop tee;

FIG. 16 shows an end view of a low profile drop tee;

FIG. 17 provides an exploded view of the low profile drop tee;

FIG. 18 shows a tool actuated cam means for securing an arcuate cover inplace upon a low profile drop tee, with its locking means disengaged asnoted; and

FIG. 19 shows the tool actuated cam locked in place for holding thearcuate cover secured against the bottom of the drop tee to maintain itin closure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a drop tee, having an arcuatestyle of bottom, wherein the tee 300 includes a flanged vertical section301, a horizontal or longitudinal section integrated into the structureof the tee, as noted at 302, and further incorporates that arcuateopening through its bottom, as at 303, that provides for unloading ofthe hopper bin or tank trailer directly through the shown attached tee300.

In referring to the drawings, FIG. 2 also shows the integral tee,generally known as a hopper tee, of the present invention 1 in aperspective view. The present invention has a generally transversehollow pipe, hereinafter horizontal pipe 2, round in cross section andof a known diameter. The horizontal pipe has two opposed ends, one endbeing an inlet 3 that receives material sent into the hopper tee underpneumatic pressures from another source, and the opposite end being anoutlet 4 that discharges material from the inlet and the materials asunloaded from a hopper, or bin, into and through the hopper tee. Theinlet and the outlet each have a perimeter slot 5 for coupling theinvention 1 onto a pneumatic system for unloading. The coupling slots 5generally extend around the entire circumference of the lower pipeproximate its inlet and the outlet.

Generally centered upon and perpendicular to the horizontal pipe, thefluted hopper tee 1 has a vertically directed hollow pipe, hereinaftervertical pipe 6. The horizontal pipe 2 is generally transverse, orperpendicular to the vertical pipe. The vertical pipe is also rounded incross section and of a known diameter. The vertical pipe has a flange 7at one end away from the horizontal pipe. The flange extends outwardlyfrom the pipe in a planar form that is parallel to the longitudinal axisof the lower pipe. The flange has a top surface 7 a and pattern of holestherethrough that mate with bolts present in valves commonly used in thebulk material hauling industry. In this embodiment, the flange has atruncated round shape where the flange has two mutually parallelstraight edges 8, also parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lowerpipe. Centered upon the flange, the vertical pipe has an opening 9 thatmatches the inside diameter of the valves applied upon hoppers used inthe bulk material industry.

Where the flange adjoins the vertical pipe, generally as the top surfacemeets the opening 9, like at a lip, the key feature of the inventionbegins. The invention provides a flute 10, or a rounded groove, to theinterior of the vertical pipe that begins at the flange and extends in acurvilinear manner into the horizontal pipe in the direction of theoutlet. The flute has an initial width comparable to the diameter of theopening 9, then the width of the flute narrows as it approaches theoutlet 4. The path of the flute is generally shown with a flute line 11that follows a radius of curvature with a center point proximate theoutlet 4. As the flute extends from the flange and curves towards theoutlet, the flute tapers in its diameter over an area of transition 14that may appear as a convex shape, or bulge, in later views of theinvention. Where the flute intersects with the flange, the vertical pipehas a radius of curvature immediately. The intersection of the flangewith the flute defines a fore edge 12 and where the vertical pipe has atypical connection, or square connection, to the flange where an aftedge 13 exists. The fore edge extends for over 120 degrees of arc of theopening 9, centered upon the horizontal pipe. The aft edge occupies thereminder of the perimeter of the opening.

From the side, FIG. 3 shows the present invention and the location andshaping of the flute. The plane of the flange 7 is generally parallel tothe centerline of the horizontal pipe 2. Where the vertical pipe adjoinsthe flange proximate the inlet, the vertical pipe has a generally squareor right angle joint to the flange. The square joint typically followsthe aft edge 13 and has no downstream radius. Opposite the aft edge, theflange has the fore edge 12 which marks the upper extent of the flute10. The flute begins at the top surface of the flange and immediatelycurves as shown in a concave manner towards the outlet 4 through thetransition 14. Opposite the transition, the flute line 11 indicates theposition and curvature of the flute as it curves from the flange,through the vertical pipe, and then attains the diameter of thehorizontal pipe. The flute line indicates the path of the bulk materialas it rounds the juncture of the vertically directed hollow pipe and thetransverse hollow pipe. The flute provides an internal transition in thefluid like flow of bulk materials from the vertically directed hollowpipe through a substantially ninety degree turn into the transversehollow pipe. As can also be seen, the arcuate drop chute or opening 303is provided for a downward discharge of material directly out of thetee, when opened.

As described above, the transition 14 has a bulge like appearance asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The flute 10 begins at the flange 7 and extendsforward in the direction of the outlet 4 of the lower pipe 2. The flutehas an initial width similar to that of the valve opening in a hopper asat the fore edge 12. The flute then narrows in width as it curves upon aradius until it reaches the diameter of the horizontal pipe. Generally,the hopper valve openings exceed the diameter of the horizontal pipethus the transition 14 starts wide at the flange and tapers to thehorizontal pipe 2. The curvature of the transition also affects thebulge like appearance. The edge of the transition as in this figuredefines the flute line 11.

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the invention, lengthwise with theinterior exposed, where the key feature operates to accelerate the flowof bulk granular material through the hopper tee. The flange 7 isgenerally shown horizontal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of thehorizontal pipe. The flange has the fore edge 12 at the opening 9towards the outlet 4 and the opposite aft edge 13 towards the inlet 3,as aforesaid. The aft edge defines a square edge that connects theflange, the vertical pipe, and the horizontal pipe. Then the fore edgebegins the flute where the vertical pipe intersects the top surface ofthe flange. The flute curves in a concave manner from the fore edge,through the transition, and reaches the horizontal pipe behind thecoupling slot 5 near the outlet 4. Opposite the fore edge, the fluteabuts the aft edge and extends as a curvilinear line 11 from the flangethrough the vertical pipe and partly into the horizontal pipe. As theflute extends across the diameter of the vertical pipe and partly aroundthe circumference, the flute adjoins the inner wall of the verticalpipe, as at 6 a. The drop cute 303 in the bottom of the tee is alsoseen.

As soon as the bulk material, or product, leaves the tank, hopper, ortank valve, the bulk material enters the uniquely designed flute of thisinvention. The flute line begins at the top surface of the flange morethan half way across the diameter of the opening 9 and descends at aslight curve towards the outlet through the vertical pipe and into thehorizontal pipe. Inside the horizontal pipe, at less than half of thediameter of the horizontal pipe the flute line curves more sharply andattains an asymptotic angle to the centerline of the horizontal pipe.The flute line ends at a confluence point, 15, proximate the outletslightly below the centerline. At the end of the flute line 11, theflute has reached a width identical to that of the inside diameter ofthe horizontal pipe. Where the flute begins to curve more sharply, aninflection point, as at 16, starts an eddy line 17 that extends to theintersection of the vertical pipe with the horizontal pipe at 18. Abovethe eddy line 17 within the aft edge 13 and outside the flute line 11,eddies form in the bulk material flowing from the inlet into thehorizontal pipe. The present invention creates less eddy currents andturbulence than prior art tees which leads to less friction between thebulk material and the invention and internal friction of the bulkmaterial. The eddies in the material flow ease the merge of bulkmaterial flowing from the opening 9 into the flute 10 and then follow acurved flow path induced by the flute 10. The fewer eddy currents andmore laminar like flow of the bulk material generates less friction andless heat imparted to the invention which allows for a longer usefullife compared to prior art tees. The bulk material flows into thehorizontal pipe from the inlet and starts the bulk material immediatelyto drop through the opening 9 into a curved flow through the hopper. Thebulk material flowing along a curve merges with that flowing along thehorizontal pipe much like two watercourses at a confluence become oneriver.

Bernoulli's principle reminds us that energy is conserved across astraight pipe and through various joints including a hopper tee. Underthe Bernoulli equation, the head of the fluidized bulk material enteringthe fluted hopper tee equals the head of the fluidized bulk materialexiting the outlet 4 where head represents the pressure, kinetic, andpotential energies. This relationship is shown in the followingequation:

${\frac{p_{1}}{\gamma} + \frac{v_{1}^{2}}{2g} + z_{1} + \frac{p_{2}}{\gamma} + \frac{v_{2}^{2}}{2g} + z_{2}} = {\frac{p_{3}}{\gamma} + \frac{v_{3}^{2}}{2g} + z_{3}}$

Where the bulk material energies at the inlet 1 are added with those ofthe opening 2 to equal those energies of the outlet 9. The inletenergies and the opening energies create two forces, one force from thetank pressure pushing the bulk material down the tank, and a secondforce from the line pressure pulling the bulk material down the linebeneath the tank or hopper for distribution. The tank pressure isapproximately 25 psi while the line pressure is approximately 20 psi. Asthe potential energy of the bulk material flowing through the openingadds to the kinetic energy of the material from the inlet, the combinedmaterial exits the outlet at a greater velocity and thus acceleratesunloading of each hopper and an entire trailer of hoppers. Further, inthe vicinity of the inner wall 6 a of the vertical pipe, the flutecauses a venturi, or siphon like, effect that aids in drawing, orpulling, bulk material from the hopper, through the valve, into theopening 9, and thus into the horizontal pipe. Additionally, the bulkmaterial within the flute attains a pressure of approximately 15 psiwhile the material arriving from the inlet has a pressure ofapproximately 20 psi. The pressure gradient between the two flows ofmaterial augments the siphoning effect of the curved flow and the eddiesformed therein.

And then FIG. 6 shows a top view of the present invention lookingthrough the opening 9 in the flange 7 into the hopper tee 1,particularly the horizontal pipe 2. The flange, as before, has atruncated round shape with edges 8 parallel to the length of thehorizontal pipe. Within the flange, the opening has the aft edge 13towards the inlet 3 and extending less than half way around thecircumference of the opening. The remainder of the opening has the foreedge 12 that begins the flute 10 that descends through the vertical pipeinto the horizontal pipe towards the outlet along the flute lines 11. Orthe opening 303 is provided through the bottom of the horizontal pipe.Inwardly and towards the inlet from the flute lines 11, the inner wall 6a extends upwardly from the flute lines to the flange 7 and occupies theremaining circumference of the opening 9 as the aft edge. In this view,the flute lines define a partly parabolic curve with its vertex towardsthe inlet upon the centerline of the horizontal pipe. The flute lineswiden outwardly reaching the inside diameter of the horizontal pipetowards the outlet.

FIG. 7 then shows a drop tee embodiment of the present invention. Thisembodiment has an opening as at 9 through the flange that receives bulkmaterial from the hopper or bin. The opening has a known shape andwidth, round with a diameter in this description. Opposite the opening,this embodiment of the hopper tee has a door 101 that opens below ahorizontal pipe 102. As later shown, the door provides a full portopening, or a drop opening or chute 120, later shown in FIG. 10, of thesame width and shape as opening 9 for unimpeded discharge of bulkmaterial from the hopper or bin. Beneath the flange, the drop teeembodiment has a vertical pipe 106 that merges with the center of thehorizontal pipe 102. In this view, the vertical pipe has a flute 110that curves from the opening 9 away from the inlet 3 in a transition 114that contracts in width from that of the opening to that of the diameterof the horizontal pipe. Generally behind the transition towards theoutlet, this embodiment has a pair of pivot ears 121 and an oppositepair of hinge ears 122 where each pair is collinear and extendingperpendicular to the vertical pipe and to the horizontal pipe. Eachmember of a pair of pivot ears and hinge ears is coaxial and coplanarwith its opposite counterpart. The pivot ears and hinge ears have asymmetric arrangement about the centerline that allows for changing theclosure door position to either side of a trailer during usage. Thepivot ears extend outwardly from the centerline of the horizontal pipeand provide a pivoting point for a pin 121 a within a bushing 121 b fora cam bolt 123, wherein the bushing is generally of a polymer. The cambolt has a threaded end 123 a in a bolted connection through the pin andbushing and opposite the threaded end it has a hook 123 b. Between thethreaded end and the hook, the cam bolt has an off center bend definedby the threaded end approaching the hook or a generally convex shape asshown in the figure. The cam bolt 123 allows a cam lever 124 to pivotdownwardly from one end of the door 101 as the door itself pivotsbeneath the horizontal pipe for opening to drop bulk material. The camlever has a generally elongated shape with two opposed ends. One end isthe pedal 124 a that has a foot grip surface to receive a kick from atrucker during opening. A trucker steps on the pedal, or pulls itdownward, which allows for easy opening of the door that swingsdownwardly out and away from the horizontal pipe. With the presentinvention, the trucker no longer deals with seized wing nuts, rustedbolts, and galled bolts that accumulated in prior art tees in field use.The pedal can also have a slight offset as shown in FIG. 13. On theother end, the pedal has a shoulder 124 b generally curved upwardlypartially around the door. Near the bottom of the shoulder, it has agroove 124 c that receives the hook 123 b. Near the top of the shoulder,an aperture 124 d admits a pin 124 f, through a bushing 124 g, thatpivotally connects the shoulder and the cam lever to the door 101. Thecam lever also includes receives a safety pin, marking strap, orsecurity seal through a second aperture 124 e that secures the cam leverupwardly towards the hinge ear 122 to prevent inadvertent opening of thecam lever.

Then the hinge ear 122 extends outwardly from the vertical pipe alongthe same axis as the pivot ear 121 and provides a door hinge 125 with abushing 125 a and a coaxial pin 125 b. The door hinge allows the door topivot upon one edge opposite the pivot ear 121 and opposite the aperture124 d but above the second aperture 124 e of the cam lever from a closedto an open position. The cam bolt 123 has threaded rod like connectionsthat allow for adjustments in positioning of the door upon thehorizontal pipe. Here in FIG. 7, the door is shown in the closedposition where the door 101 abuts a gasket 101 a that compresses uponthe lip 126 defining the drop opening 120. The gasket seals the door ina positive seal to the door in one motion without adjusting the door attwo places as in the prior art. The gasket can be readily replaced ifdamaged or worn. The door has at least two, preferably four, holes 101 ethat admit legs 101 b through the door. The legs are generally elongatedcylinders, round in cross section, that has a conically shaped bump out,or barb 101 d, proximate the main portion of the gasket. The barbs 101 dare generally spaced away from the gasket slight less than the door 101thickness for a snug fit of the gasket to the door. The molded gaskethas a generally elliptical shape with an open interior and four legsequally spaced upon the inside face of the gasket. The legs align thegasket upon the door in position for a tight seal. When closed inparticular, the door in cooperation with the gasket seals to thehorizontal pipe so that the inside surface of the door 101 c is flushwith the inside diameter of the horizontal pipe. The smooth closure ofthe door upon the horizontal pipe provides for minimal interruption inthe flow of bulk material and lessens the Reynolds number of the bulkmaterial when passing through the horizontal pipe with the door closed.The lower Reynolds number leads to a more laminar like flow of the bulkmaterial through the invention.

The drop tee embodiment appears from the side in FIG. 8 where a verticalpipe 106 that merges with a horizontal pipe 102. This embodiment hasmore ground clearance that prior art tees with generally approximately1½ inches more between the lowest point of the door and the ground. Thehorizontal pipe has an inlet 3 and an opposite outlet 4 each with acoupling slot 5 as before. The vertical pipe 106 has a flange 7 with anopening 9 that receives bulk material from the hopper or bin above thedrop tee. The flange has a top surface 7 a that intersects along part ofthe perimeter of the opening with the vertical pipe defining the aftedge 13. Upon the reminder of the opening 9, the fore edge 12 definesthe beginning of the flute 110. The flute curves the vertical pipeforward towards the outlet and begins with a width that of the opening 9in the flange and then narrows to the diameter of the horizontal pipe.In this embodiment, the flute extends to the immediate vicinity of thecoupling slot 5.

Generally centered between the wall 6 a of the vertical pipe 106 and thetransition 114 of the flute 110, the pair of pivot ears 121 provides twoparallel plates to which the cam bolt 123 secures upon the bushing 121 bwith its internal coaxial pin 121 a. The cam bolt has its threaded end123 a passing through a hole in the bushing and the pin secured by twonuts equally spaced about the diameter of the bushing. The cam boltextends outwardly from the horizontal pipe and bends around the shoulder124 b of the cam lever 124, generally outside of the door. The cam boltextends downwardly so that its hook 123 b engages the groove 124 c ofthe cam lever 124. The cam lever extends beneath and across the door 101to the opposite side of the drop tee. The door has an inverted saddlelike shape that matches the curvature of the horizontal pipe but alsorises to allow for a snug fit of the cam lever beneath the door buttight towards the tee. The door seals to the drop opening 120 upon thegasket 101 a which compresses upon the lip 126. The lip and the dropopening curve upwardly, as in a saddle, to slightly above the centerlineof the horizontal pipe. The perimeter of the door, in this dropembodiment, extends slightly outwardly from the lip causing a reductionin ground clearance below the door of approximately one inch.

FIG. 9 then shows the drop tee with the door 101, the cam bolt 123, andthe cam lever 124 removed. FIG. 10 is a sectional view of FIG. 9.Beneath the hinge ears 122, the drop tee has the drop opening 120 (or303 as previously described), generally of similar diameter as theopening 9 in the flange 7 as later shown in FIG. 11. In this view, thedrop opening is bounded by the lip 126 that has a curvi-linear shapeupwardly into the lower pipe until the uppermost tangent to the arc isgenerally parallel to and slightly below the centerline of thehorizontal pipe. Alternatively, the lip has a shape of one of parabolic,elliptic, or arcuate. The lip extends slightly outwardly from thesurface of the horizontal pipe and provides a slightly concave surfaceforming a door bead 127 that accepts the gasket 101 a in compression bythe door 101 when closed upon the tee. The shape of the lip and the dropopening minimizes the potential disturbance to the inside surface of thehorizontal pipe and impediment of bulk material during unloading.

The drop tee in regards to the door and its closure upon the horizontalpipe has a lengthwise sectional view shown in FIG. 10 in the samedirection as FIG. 9. This figure illustrates the immediate curvature ofthe flute 110 at the top surface 7 a of the flange 7 that extends justshort of the coupling slot 5. Opposite the flute, the vertical pipe hasan internal wall 106 a generally square to the top surface of the flangeand towards the inlet 3. The flange has its opening 9 that abuts thevalve of a hopper or bin. The opening has a known diameter, often 5 or 6inches, and the drop tee locates the drop opening 120 directly oppositethe opening 9 in the flange. The drop opening has the same insidediameter as the inside diameter of the opening in the flange and followsthe circumference of the horizontal pipe. By providing the drop openingwith the same diameter as the opening above, the bulk material fallsvertically through the drop tee when the door is opened in a smooth flowwithout any hindrances. The falling bulk material does not constrict topass through the door nor do eddy currents arise and nor does turbulencedevelop. This figure further shows the lip 126 extending outwardly fromthe surface of the horizontal pipe and having a rounded edge towards thedrop opening 120. The horizontal pipe 3 merges with the vertical pipe106 along the upright curvilinear feature 3 a. Alternatively, thefeature has a shape of one of parabolic, elliptic, or arcuate.

FIG. 11 then provides a top view of the drop tee with the door, camlever, cam bolt, and gasket removed. As can be seen, the opening 9 inthe flange is concentric with the drop opening 120 (303) located therebelow and of similar diameter. Bulk material dropping through theopening 9 and the drop opening 120 flows through the drop tee freelywhen the door is Opened. As before, the drop tee has a flange 7 with apattern of holes thereon for mounting to the valve of a hopper or bin.The flange has a generally round shape but for two parallel edges 8 eachalso parallel to the centerline of the horizontal pipe. Beneath theedges, the pair of pivot ears 121 and the pair of hinge ears 122 extendmutually opposite and outwardly from the vertical pipe. This view alsoshows the horizontal pipe widening slightly at its saddle, as at 102 a,with the vertical pipe. Then the horizontal pipe attains the diameter ofthe opening 9 across the junction with the vertical pipe. The horizontalpipe continues itself with the diameter of the opening 9 to for a lengthslightly less than the radius of the flange as at 102 b. Then thehorizontal pipe quickly narrows to the diameter proximate the outlet 4.This widened horizontal pipe before the outlet differs from thepreferred embodiment where the transition narrows gradually and furtherbehind the outlet.

Turning the drop tee, FIG. 12 shows a sectional view through the centerof the pairs of pivot ears 121 and hinges ears 122, looking throughoutlet 4 towards inlet 3 or upstream, where the door closes upon thegasket that compresses upon the lip 126. The door has a radius ofcurvature that spans from a lip 126 to the opposite lip across thehorizontal pipe. At the location of this section, the lips 126 arespaced apart by the diameter of the opening 9 that exceeds the diameterof the horizontal pipe and the lips are connected by the door bead 127that in time abuts the gasket. The door radius of curvature and thearcuate length of the door cooperate so that the lowest portion of thedoor matches the arc at the bottom of the horizontal pipe. The matchingof door curvature to the curvature of the horizontal pipe provides aflush and smooth surface to the interior of the drop tee when the dooris closed and the tee functions as a hopper tee. Above and behind thedoor in this figure, the horizontal pipe widens into the flute thatbegins along the feature line 3 a and that briefly widens into the flute10 and then narrows to the bottom of the horizontal pipe along the fluteline 11.

And, FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of the components of the drop tee.This description begins with the bottom of the figure and moves upwardlythrough the invention. Here, the invention is in the closed positionwith the cam lever 124 in a generally horizontal orientation butperpendicular to the line of flow through the invention. The cam leverhas a foot pedal 124 a used by truckers and others to open the inventionfor discharge of product through the opening 9 in the flange 7 and thenthe bottom opening 120. Inward from the foot pedal, the cam lever has asecond aperture 124 e that receives a seal or other marking device.Opposite the foot pedal, the cam lever has its shoulder 124 b that has agreater width than the remainder of the cam lever and curves upwardly.The shoulder has a groove 124 c generally centered therein that receivesthe hook 123 b of the cam bolt 123 as previously described. The shouldercurves upwardly above the level of the foot pedal and have an aperture124 d therethrough with an axis perpendicular to the length of the camlever. The aperture receives a cam pin 124 f that fits within a coaxialcam bushing 124 g. The cam pin provides a pivotal connection of the camlever to the door 101.

The door has a generally saddle shape with an inside surface 101 chaving the same radius of curvature as the horizontal pipe 102. The doorcurves upwardly and towards the cam shoulder in the figure, the door hastwo spaced apart door ears 101 h that extend outwardly from the door.Each door ear has an aperture 101 g therethrough that admits the cambushing 124 g. Opposite the door ears, the door has the door tab 101 jthat has an aperture 101 k therethrough that admits a door bushing 101f. The door bushing cooperates with the hinge ears 122 for opening ofthe door from the remainder of the tee. The door tab extends from thetop of the curve of the door generally outwardly from the door and thehorizontal pipe when the door is closed. Within the saddle portion ofthe door, that is down slope from the door ears 101 h and the door tab101 j, at least two and preferably four holes 101 e extend through thethickness of the door. The door holes 101 e admit a part of the moldedgasket 101 a.

The molded gasket 101 a also has a similar saddle shape as the insideface of the door. However, the molded gasket has a large openingtherethrough for passage of product. The opening has a diameter of atleast that of the opening 9 in the flange. Due to the saddle shape ofthe gasket, the opening attains a perimeter similar to a section througha spherical body. As described previously, the gasket compresses underclosure of the door upon the lip 126 of the horizontal pipe. To preventthe gasket from sliding out of position, the gasket has two, andpreferably four, legs 101 b that extend radially outward from the gasketin the direction of the door. The legs align and enter the holes 101 ewhich positions the gasket properly upon the door. Each leg has a barb101 d with a generally inverted tapered shape with maximum diametertowards the gasket tapering to the leg diameter away from the gasket.Each barb is also spaced down the leg a distance similar to the depth ofthe whole 101 e. During installation, a worker pushes the leg into thehole until the barb engages and repeats that for each leg. To remove thegasket, the worker pulls on the leg, lengthening it and narrowing itenough for the barb to pass back through the whole 101 e. Removing thegasket aids the trucker or other worker in cleaning the door and avoidscross contamination of loads. The removable gasket can be removed andcleaned in contrast to prior art drop doors that remained connected to atee which hindered cleaning and raised the chance of cross contaminationwith its risk of rejecting a load.

The door with its installed gasket rotates upon its door bushing 101 jwithin the hinge ears 122 of the main portion of the tee. The hinge earsare mutually parallel and spaced apart generally proximate the top ofthe lower pipe 102. Each hinge ear has its own aperture that admits ahinge ear bushing 125 a that receives a spring clip pin 125 that passesthrough the bushing 125 and the door bushing 101 f and allows the doorto pivot or to drop away from the tee, as during unloading. Opposite thehinge ears 122, the tee has the pivot ears 121 where each pivot ear hasits own aperture. The apertures of the pivot ears and the hinge ears arespaced symmetrically about the line of flow of the invention to allowfor reverse installation of the door if needed in the field. The door ofthe invention can be installed for right side or left side of trailerusage. Each aperture in a pivot ear receives a pivot bushing 121 b thatin turn admits a cam pin 121 generally centered within the pivot ears.The cam pin has a diametrical hole through its centered that admits thethreaded end 123 a of a cam bolt 123. The threaded end has a jam nut 123c and a washer 123 d inside of the jam nut located outside of the campin and a locking nut 123 e inside of the cam pin. The locking nutsecures the cam bolt upon the cam pin for hinge action of the cam bolt123 to the cam lever 124 as previously described.

Inside of the pivot ears and the hinge ears, the invention has the lowerpipe 102 with its outlet 4 to the right in this figure. Inside of theoutlet, one can view a portion of the door bead 127 denoting the opening120 in the bottom of the lower pipe. The outlet has its coupling slot 5inward of the outlet and the lower pipe has the saddle shaped lip 126below the hinge ears and the pivot ears. The lower pipe continuesrearward to an opposite coupling slot 5 and the inlet 3. The lower pipemerges with the vertical pipe 106 in a generally inverted T position.The lower pipe has a transition section, as at 114, upon its top surfaceand towards the outlet that defines the outward appearance of the flute110 locating upon the downstream portion of the tee. The flute commencesat the forward inside edge 12 of the flange 7. Opposite the forward edge12, the flange has an aft edge 13 generally square, or a right angleedge. The flange has two exterior, mutually parallel squared edges 8,generally parallel to the length of the lower pipe 102. And the flange 7extends perpendicular and outwardly from the vertical pipe 106 with apattern of holes therethrough for mechanical connection.

A further alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 14 as alow profile drop tee. Similar to FIG. 9, this embodiment of the drop teehas a horizontal pipe 202 with a drop opening 920 as later shown in FIG.15 that is closed by a door. Opposite the door, this embodiment has aflange 7 with a top surface 7 a outwardly from the horizontal pipe andthe bottom surface 7 b generally abutting the surface of the horizontalpipe tangentially. This low profile embodiment has more ground clearancethat prior art tees with approximately ½ inch more between the lowestpoint of the door and the ground. The flange has an opening 9 that matewith a valve opening upon a hopper or bin. Upon more than the front halfof the opening, the flange has a fore edge 12 that begins a flute thatbriefly curves in a concave manner from the diameter of the opening 9 tothe diameter of the horizontal pipe. This curve begins immediately atthe top surface 7 a and then curves through a vertical distanceequivalent to the thickness of the flange to attain a horizontalorientation at the horizontal pipe diameter. Opposite the fore edge, theflange has the aft edge 13 that generally provides a square shape. Thisembodiment effectively has no vertical pipe and thus a higher groundclearance, approximately 1½ inches higher than the previous embodiments.The fore edge and the aft edge generally have a height limited by thethickness of the flange 7.

Generally behind the transition towards the outlet, this embodiment hasa pair of pivot ears 221 and an opposite pair of hinge ears 222 whereeach pair is collinear and extending perpendicular to the vertical pipeand to the horizontal pipe. Each member of a pair of pivot ears, FIG.16, and hinge ears, FIG. 16, is coaxial and coplanar with its oppositecounterpart. The pivot ears and hinge ears have a symmetric arrangementabout the centerline that allows for changing the door position toeither side of a trailer during usage. Then the hinge ear 222 extendsoutwardly from the vertical pipe along the same axis as the pivot ear221 and provides a door hinge 225 with a bushing 225 a and a coaxial pin225 b. A clevis pin spring retainer 225 c may be optionally used tosecure the pin 225 b against dislodging from the bushings during roughmovement of the invention beneath a trailer. Beneath the springretainer, the figure shows a cam lever 224 of a generally elongatedshape with two opposed ends. One end is the pedal 224 a may have anoffset foot grip surface to receive a kick from a trucker duringopening. Unlike the pedals of FIGS. 7, 13, this pedal has a substantialoffset, moving the foot pedal to the side and upwardly around the curveof the door which generally contributes to raising the ground clearanceof this embodiment of tee.

Here in this figure, the door is in the closed position where the door201 abuts a gasket 201 a that compresses upon the lip 226 defining thedrop opening 220 as described above. The door has preferably four holes201 e that admit legs 201 b from the gasket through the door. The legsare generally elongated cylinders, round in cross section, that has aconically shaped bump out, or barb 201 d, proximate the main portion ofthe gasket. The barbs 201 d are generally spaced away from the gasketslight less than the door 201 thickness for a snug fit of the gasket tothe door. The molded gasket has a generally elliptical shape with anopen interior and four legs equally spaced upon the inside face of thegasket. The legs align the gasket upon the door in position for a tightseal. When closed, the door cooperates with the gasket as it seals tothe horizontal pipe so that the inside surface of the door 201 c isflush with the inside diameter of the horizontal pipe. The smoothclosure of the door upon the horizontal pipe provides for minimalinterruption in the flow of bulk material or change in the Reynoldsnumber through the horizontal pipe with the door closed. The door hinge,shown here as at 222, allows the door to pivot upon one edge oppositethe pivot ears 221 and opposite the aperture 224 d but above the secondaperture 224 e of the cam lever from a closed to an open position.

Turning to FIGS. 14 and 17, opposite the pedal, the other end of the camlever has a shoulder 224 b generally curved upwardly partially aroundthe door. Near the bottom of the shoulder, it has a groove 224 cunderneath that receives the hook 223 b. Near the top of the shoulder,an aperture 224 d admits a pin 224 f, through a bushing 224 g, thatpivotally connects the shoulder and the cam lever to the door 201. Thecam lever also includes receives a safety pin, marking strap, orsecurity seal through a second aperture 224 e proximate the pedal 224 athat secures the cam lever upwardly towards the hinge ear 222 to preventinadvertent opening of the cam lever.

The drop tee low profile embodiment appears from the side in said FIG.14 where the flange 7 merges with a horizontal pipe 202. The horizontalpipe has an inlet 3 and an opposite outlet 4 each with a coupling slot 5as before. The flange 7 has its opening 9 as before that receives bulkmaterial from the hopper or bin above the drop tee. The flange has a topsurface 7 a that intersects along part of the perimeter of the openingwith the vertical pipe defining the aft edge 13. Upon the reminder ofthe opening 9, the fore edge 12 defines the beginning of the brief flute210. The flute curves the forward edge of the flange immediately towardsthe outlet and begins with a width that of the opening 9 in the flangeand then narrows to the diameter of the horizontal pipe. In thisembodiment, the flute extends in the direction of flow and towards theimmediate vicinity of the coupling slot 5.

Generally centered slightly beneath the flange 7 and below straightedges 8, a pair of pivot ears 221 provides two parallel plates to whichthe cam bolt 223 secures upon the bushing 221 b with its internalcoaxial pin 221 a. The cam bolt has its threaded end 223 a passingthrough a hole in the bushing and the pin secured by two nuts equallyspaced about the diameter of the bushing. See also FIG. 17. The cam bolt223 has threaded rod like connections that allow for adjustments inpositioning of the door upon the horizontal pipe. The cam bolt extendsoutwardly from the horizontal pipe and bends around the shoulder 224 bof the cam lever 224, generally outside of the door. The cam boltextends downwardly so that its hook 223 b engages the groove 224 c ofthe cam lever 224. The cam lever extends within the depth of the door201 to the opposite side of the drop tee. The door, as before, has aninverted saddle shape that matches the curvature of the horizontal pipebut also rises to allow for a recessed fit of the cam lever beneath thedoor but tight towards the tee. The door seals to the drop opening 220upon the gasket 201 a which compresses upon the lip 226. The lip and thedrop opening curve upwardly, as in a saddle, to slightly above thecenterline of the horizontal pipe. The perimeter of the door extendsslightly outwardly from the lip causing a reduction in ground clearancebelow the door of approximately one inch.

Similar to FIG. 10, FIG. 15 shows a lengthwise sectional view of the lowprofile embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment has anopening 9 in the flange and a drop opening 220 located opposite eachother that have the same diameter when seen from above. Bulk materialpasses through the opening, the horizontal pipe, and then the dropopening without any constriction and thus has faster unloading than inprevious drop tees. The opening has a fore edge 12 generally locatedtowards the outlet 4. The fore edge has a curve, generally concave, thatbegins at the top surface 7 a and merges quickly with the inside surfaceof the horizontal pipe generally opposite the door 201. Opposite thefore edge, the opening in the flange has the aft edge 13 that extendsperpendicular to the top surface and has no curvature towards the inlet.Then opposite the opening 9, this tee has the drop opening 220 boundedby the lip 226. The lip extends slightly outward from the surface of thehorizontal pipe but provides a flush surface with the interior of thehorizontal pipe. The lip extends around the opening as the door bead227. The horizontal pipe 102 at the inlet 3 merges with the flange 7along the upright curvi-linear feature 3 a. Alternatively, the featurehas a shape of one of parabolic, elliptic, or arcuate.

And similar to FIG. 7, FIG. 16 illustrates an end view of the lowprofile embodiment. This embodiment has an opening as at 9 through theflange that receives bulk material from the hopper or bin. The openinghas a known shape and width, round with a diameter in this description.Opposite the opening, this embodiment of the hopper tee has a door 201that opens below a horizontal pipe 202 and has a drop opening 220 of thesame width and shape as opening 220 as in the prior figure for unimpededdischarge of bulk material from the hopper or bin. Beneath the flange,the drop tee embodiment has no vertical pipe but does have the pivotears 221 and the opposite hinge ears 222 both being collinear andextending perpendicular to the flange and to the horizontal pipe. Thepivot ears 221 extend perpendicular beneath the flange and outwardly ofthe horizontal pipe and provide a pivot point for a cam bolt 223. Thecam bolt turns upon a pin within bushing locating within apertures inthe pivot ears. Then the hinge ears 222, locating opposite the pivotears in a symmetrically arrangement, allow a cammed handle 224 with asafety pin, or seal wire, removed to pivot downwardly from thehorizontal pipe and thus allow the door 201 to open. Then the hinge ears222 also extend perpendicular and beneath the flange and outwardly fromthe horizontal pipe and provides a door hinge 225. The door hinge allowsthe door to pivot upon one end from a closed to an open position. Thecam bolt has threaded rod connections, not shown but within the pivotears, that allow for adjustments in positioning of the door upon thehorizontal pipe. The door is shown here in the closed position where itrests upon the lip 226 defining the drop opening 220. The door sealsupon a gasket 201, itself upon a raised bead 227, affixed to the lip.More particularly, the door seals to the horizontal pipe so that theinside surface of the door 201 a is flush with the inside diameter ofthe horizontal pipe. The smooth closing of the door upon the horizontalpipe provides for less interruption in the flow of bulk material throughthe horizontal pipe with the door closed.

And, FIG. 17 shows an exploded view of the low profile version of thedrop tee components. This description begins at the bottom of the figureand moves upwardly through the invention. Here, the invention is in theclosed position with the cam lever 224 in a generally horizontalorientation but perpendicular to the line of flow through the invention.The cam lever has a foot pedal 224 a used by truckers and others to openthe invention for discharge of product through the opening 9 in theflange 7 and then the bottom opening 220. The foot pedal may begenerally offset in the direction of the outlet 4 thus reducing groundclearance. Inward from the foot pedal, the cam lever has a secondaperture 224 e that receives a seal, clip, or other marking device.Opposite the foot pedal, the cam lever has its shoulder 224 b that has agreater width than the remainder of the cam lever and curves upwardly.The shoulder has a centered groove 224 c generally centered therein thatreceives the hook 223 b of the cam bolt 223 as previously described whenthe door is in the closed position and releases from the hook when thedoor is in the opened position (not shown). The shoulder curves upwardlyabove the level of the foot pedal and have an aperture 224 dtherethrough with an axis perpendicular to the length of the cam lever.The aperture receives a cam pin 224 f that fits within a coaxial cambushing 224 g. The cam pin provides a pivotal connection of the camlever to the door 201.

As before, the door has a generally saddle shape with an inside surface201 c having the same radius of curvature as the horizontal pipe 202.This horizontal pipe generally joins the flange without a vertical pipeas in the prior embodiment. The door curves upwardly and towards the camshoulder in the figure and the door has two spaced apart door ears 201 hthat extend outwardly from the door. Each door ear has an aperture 201 gtherethrough that admits one cam bushing 224 g between the door ears.Opposite the door ears, the door has the door tab 201 j that has anaperture 201 k therethrough that admits one door bushing 201 f into thelone door tab. The door bushing cooperates with the hinge ears 222 foropening of the door from the horizontal pipe 202 and the remainder ofthis low profile tee. The door tab extends from the top of the curve ofthe door generally outwardly from the door and the horizontal pipe whenthe door is closed. Within the saddle portion of the door, that is downslope from the door ears 201 h and the door tab 201 j, at least two andpreferably four holes 201 e extend through the thickness of the door.The door holes 201 e admit a part of the molded gasket 201 a and arearranged symmetrically.

The molded gasket 201 a also has a similar saddle shape as the insideface of the door. However, the molded gasket has a large openingtherethrough for passage of product. The opening has a diameter of atleast that of the opening 9 in the flange. Due to the saddle shape ofthe gasket, the opening attains a perimeter similar to a section througha spherical body. As described previously, the gasket compresses underclosure of the door upon the lip 226 of the horizontal pipe. To keep thegasket in position upon the door and upon the lip when the door isclosed, the gasket has two, and preferably four, legs 201 b that extendradially outward from the gasket in the direction of the door. Thegasket has a generally symmetrical shape. The legs align and enter theholes 201 e which positions the gasket properly upon the door. Each leghas a barb 201 d, or button head, with a generally inverted taperedshape with maximum diameter towards the gasket tapering to the legdiameter away from the gasket. Each barb is also spaced down the leg adistance similar to the depth of the whole 201 e. During installation, aworker pushes the leg into the hole until the barb engages and repeatsthat for each leg. To remove the gasket, the worker pulls on the leg,stretching it while narrowing it enough for the barb to pass backthrough the hole 201 e. Removing the gasket aids the trucker or otherworker in cleaning the door and avoids cross contamination of loads. Theremovable gasket can be removed and cleaned in contrast to prior artdrop doors that remained connected to a tee which hindered cleaning andraised the chance of cross contamination with its risk of rejecting aload.

The door with its installed gasket rotates upon its door tab 201 jwithin the hinge ears 222 of the main portion of the tee. The hinge earsare mutually parallel and spaced apart generally proximate the top ofthe lower pipe 202. Each hinge ear has its own aperture that admits ahinge ear bushing 225 a that receives a spring clip pin 225 that passesthrough the bushing 225 a and the door bushing 201 f and allows the doorto pivot away or to drop from the tee, as during unloading. Opposite thehinge ears 222, the tee has the pivot ears 221 where each pivot ear hasits own aperture. The apertures of the pivot ears and the hinge ears arespaced symmetrically about the line of flow of the invention to allowfor reverse installation of the door if needed in the field. The door ofthe low profile tee can be installed for right side or left side oftrailer usage. Each aperture in a pivot ear receives a pivot bushing 221b that in turn admits a cam pin 221 a generally centered within thepivot ears. The cam pin has a diametrical hole through its center thatadmits the threaded end 223 a of a cam bolt 223. The threaded end has ajam nut 223 c and a washer 223 d inside of the jam nut located outsideof the cam pin and a locking nut 223 e inside of the cam pin. Thelocking nut secures the cam bolt upon the cam pin for hinge action ofthe cam bolt 223 to the cam lever 224 as previously described.

Inside of the pivot ears and the hinge ears, the invention has the lowerpipe 202 with its outlet 4 to the right in this figure. Inside of theoutlet, one can view a portion of the door bead 227 denoting the opening220 in the bottom of the lower pipe. The outlet has its coupling slot 5inward of the outlet and the lower pipe has the saddle shaped lip 226below the hinge ears and the pivot ears. The lower pipe continuesrearward to an opposite coupling slot 5 and the inlet 3. The lower pipeeffectively has no vertical pipe in this embodiment as it merges withthe flange 7. One can see the flute line 11 intersecting with thecircumference of the lower pipe slightly below the aft edge 13. Thelower pipe 202 in cooperation with the flange 7 at the forward edge 12has its brief flute 210 locating upon the downstream portion of the tee.The flute begins immediately at the top surface 7 a of the flange at theforward inside edge 12. Opposite the forward edge 12, the flange has anaft edge 13 generally square, or a right angle edge. The flange has twoexterior, mutually parallel squared edges 8, generally parallel to thelength of the lower pipe 202. And the flange 7 extends in a planegenerally parallel to the direction of flow and to the length of thelower pipe while it has a pattern of holes therethrough for mechanicalconnection to a valve body or directly to the hopper, or bin.

What is identified as the short cam locking means for securing thearcuate cover to the bottom of a shallow drop tee is shown in FIG. 18.As noted therein, the tee 400 includes its shallow vertical portion 401,which integrally forms a flange 402 that secures to the bottom of thehopper for the tank trailer, or other vehicle. The horizontal portion ofthe tee is noted at 403. A pair of ears are integrally formed on eitherside of the tee, as noted at 404 and 405; at each of these pair of earsinclude at least two of these integral extensions, as noted. The ears404 have a pivot pin 406 connected between them, and provides a securefor pivoting of the arcuate cover 407, so that when the cover is closed,it biases against the open drop outlet, as at 408, and secures it intoclosure, generally as can be determined from reviewing this FIG. 18. Theshape of the cover, with its gasket, biases against the opening and lipof the drop tee, generally as shown and described in FIG. 17. Thus, thecover 407 is capable of pivoting about its mounting pivot pin 406, intoopening, as when granular material is discharged from the hopperdirectly through the tee, or the arcuate cover 7 may be pivoted into aclosure position, generally as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, so as to securethe bottom of the tee into closure, as can be understood.

The opposite side of the tee has its pair of ears 405, and another pivotpin 409 is arranged between them, and mounts for pivoting of a bail orcam bolt 410 similar to the cam bolt as previously described at 223, inFIG. 17. Pivotally connected by means of a pin 411 at the opposite endof the arcuate closure 407 is a cam locking means 412. The cam lockingmeans 412 has sufficient width so as to provide for a pin or otherlocking surface, as at 413, upon its back surface, as noted, and whichpin 413 is provided for engagement by the bail or cam bolt 410,particularly its hooked lower end 414. Thus, when the arcuate closure407 is located in the position as shown in FIG. 18, and the cam bolt 410hooks its lower end 414 about the pin or engagement surface 413, on theouter edge of the cam plate 412, the cam plate 412 can be pivoteddownwardly, through actuation of any form of rod, tool, crowbar,screwdriver, or other means for obtaining leverage, as noted at 415, andbiased counterclockwise into the position as shown in FIG. 19, thatfurnishes a cam locking engagement of the arcuate gate or door 407,closed into position, as can be noted. Hence, the cam plate 412 willhave been pivoted into an off center position, that locks the arcuategate 407 into a closed position, and secures it in that locking locationthroughout any storage or transit of the granular material, within theaccompanying hopper or tank trailer, as can be understood. Since the camplate 412 has an extension 416 extending from its front edge, and itcomes into alignment with the opening 417 provided upon the arcuate gate407, a pin or other locking device (not shown) may locate through thealigned openings 418 and 419, to lock the cam plate 412 into its closedand locked position, as shown in FIG. 19.

When this condition prevails, the instrument or tool 415 can be removedfrom its cam sleeve 420, since the tee is now maintained in closure, itsdrop opening is closed, its arcuate closure member 407 is locked inposition, and ready for transit or storage of the granular materialwithin its accompanying hopper or tank trailer, to which this tee 400,and its arcuate closure means 407, secures.

The benefit of this current invention is that there are only twopositions for the arcuate gate 407 to undertake, initially by hinging tothe ears 404, as explained, on one side of the tee, and engagement forlocking into position by means of its caming device, generally asdescribed through the manipulation of its cam plate 412, and itsengagement or disengagement with the cam bolt 410, as explained.

In the various embodiments described above, each has a horizontal pipeas called a transverse hollow pipe. In the various embodiments with avertical pipe, it is also called a vertically directed hollow pipe. Andthe low profile embodiments exclude a vertical pipe and generally mergethe transverse hollow pipe directly to the flange. In the variousembodiments, the integral tee has a flute, that is a rounded groove,that provides an internal transition in the flow of bulk materialthrough a substantially ninety degree turn. The flute rounds the flow ofbulk material where the vertically directed hollow pipe or the flangemerges with the transverse hollow pipe. Or, when required, the gate 407may be opened and the bulk material may drop directly out of the teeopening 408, 303, etc.

The fluted hopper tee and its various components may be manufacturedfrom many materials, including but not limited to, steel, aluminum,polymers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, their alloys, polymers, highdensity polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone, nylon, rubber, ceramics,and composites. The door gasket is preferably made from rubber,silicone, nitrile, EPDM, or fluorocarbon, suitable for contact with foodingredients and of sufficient durometer to withstand increased air flowand pressures. The various bushings in the embodiments of this inventionare generally polymer for inserting pins and for maintainingcleanliness. The horizontal pipe, vertical pipe, and flange may alsohave a zinc surface treatment that resists road grime, salts, otherenvironmental conditions, heat, and abrasion more than existing tees.The tees also have a heat treated steel alloy that accelerates theunloading process unlike some existing tees where the prior alloycomponents contribute to slowing the unloading process. The heat treatedsteel alloy also resists abrasion more than prior art tees. Field testsreport that the present invention lasts through approximately 98 loadsof silica sand while prior steel tees wear away in approximately 80loads of the same bulk material. The longer life of the presentinvention leads to a reduction in repair parts expenses and an increasein the time between replacements of tees due to wear from abrasive bulkmaterials. The metallic parts of the invention can be made of aluminumwhich lowers the weight of the bottom drop embodiment by seven pounds,or 40%, from existing aluminum drop tees.

Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this developmentmay occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the invention andits various embodiments as described herein. Such variations, if withinthe spirit of this development, are intended to be encompassed withinthe scope of the invention as explained. The description of thepreferred embodiment, and as shown in the drawings, are set forth forillustrative purposes only to show the principles of this fluted hoppertee and its various embodiments.

I claim:
 1. An integral tee directing the flow of bulk material from acontainer, located above a horizontal surface of the ground, into ahorizontal unloading system using pressurized air or gravity, said teeproviding for the vertical discharge of the bulk material from acontainer, the horizontal unloading system having an upstream and anopposite downstream flow for bulk material therefrom, said integral teeincreasing a rate of unloading the bulk material from the container andhaving a ground clearance, comprising: a flange, generally planar,having a top surface, and an opening through said flange, said openingcommunicating with said container for passage of bulk material therefromand through said integral tee; a vertically directed hollow pipeextending from said flange and centered upon said opening; a transversehollow pipe joining to said vertically directed hollow pipe at ajuncture opposite said flange, generally parallel to said flange, saidtransverse hollow pipe including an inlet adapted to receive bulkmaterial or pressurized airflow from upstream in the horizontalunloading system, an opposite outlet adapted to discharge bulk materialdownstream from said integral tee into the horizontal unloading system,and said transverse hollow pipe having a diameter; said transversehollow pipe having a drop opening therein generally opposite said flangeand corresponding in width approximately to the diameter of the openingin said flange; a door closing upon said tee drop opening and sealingsaid drop opening when said door is closed, said door having an interiorsurface, said interior surface attaining an approximate flush positionwith the interior of said transverse hollow pipe wherein the bulkmaterial flows smoothly over said door to prevent leakage of bulkmaterial from said integral tee when discharged through said transversehollow pipe; said door being arcuate, to conform to the drop opening andthe bottom of said tee, said door including at least one hinge,proximate one end of said door, and said hinge attaching to theapproximate edge of said door on one side, and said hinge attached tosaid tee, to provide for a pivotal opening of said door with respect tosaid tee to allow for a vertical discharge of bulk material from saidcontainer and through said drop opening of said tee when the door isopened; a cam lock pivotally attached to the opposite edge of said door,and including a bail for engagement with the opposite side of said teewherein when said cam lock is engaged through its bail with said tee,and the cam lock pivoted, providing for a locked closure of the arcuatedoor against the bottom opening of said tee during usage; wherein saidtransverse hollow pipe having at least one integral ear extendingapproximately diagonally from each of its sides, said at least oneintegral ear on one side engaging said arcuate door through the hinge tothe tee, the opposite edge of said door engaging through said bail withthe at least one ear extending from the opposite side of said tee, saidcam lock capable of locking said arcuate door into a closed position,and said cam lock capable of being opened, to release said bail from thecam lock, to provide for full opening of said arcuate door; wherein saidbail pivotally connecting with the at least one integral ear on one sideof said tee, connecting to the proximate edge of said door, andconnecting upon said cam lock when the arcuate door is locked intoclosure through the pivotal manipulation of said cam lock; and whereinsaid arcuate door having an internal curved surface with a radius ofcurvature which is the same as a radius of curvature transverse hollowpipe at it's drop opening, said curved surface of the arcuate doorhaving structure applied thereto, which when the arcuate door is closedupon the tee drop opening, provides sealed closure for the transversehollow pipe to prevent the vertical discharge of any bulk materialtherethrough from the container.
 2. The flow directing integral tee ofclaim 1 wherein said vertically directed hollow pipe having aninternally located flute therein curving immediately from said openingin said flange towards said outlet, said flute forming a transitionbetween said flange, said vertically directed hollow pipe, and saidtransverse hollow pipe, said flute having a width equal to a diameter ofsaid flange opening and narrowing to a width equal to the diameter ofsaid transverse hollow pipe, said flute rounding the juncture of saidvertically directed hollow pipe and said transverse hollow pipe, andsaid transition having a generally internal convexed shape; said flutehaving a flute line extending from said top surface of said flangethrough said vertically directed hollow pipe then curving into saidtransverse hollow pipe, said flute accelerating and turning the flow ofbulk materials towards the outlet of said transverse hollow pipe; saidvertically directed hollow pipe at said juncture having a generallycurved shape towards said outlet and a generally square shape towardssaid inlet, said curved shape rounding the juncture of said verticallydirected hollow pipe and said transverse hollow pipe; and whereby theflow of granular material through the tee is accelerated therebyincreasing the rate of unloading of the bulk material from thecontainer.
 3. The flow directing integral tee of claim 2 wherein duringusage the ground clearance is at least seven inches.
 4. The flowdirecting integral tee of claim 1 wherein said arcuate door capable ofbeing reversed in its locating upon the bottom of said tee, with thehinge means being engaging with the first said extending ear, and thecam lock engaging with the at least one ear extending from the oppositeside of said tee during installation and usage.
 5. The flow integral teeof claim 4 wherein each of said at least one extending ear comprises apair of integrally extending ears, extending approximately diametricallyfrom each side of the said tee, with the hinge located between the pairof ears on one side of the tee, and the cam locking bail pivotallyconnecting to the said pair of ears extending from the opposite side ofsaid tee.